WHEN it comes to first ladies, the world still has a problem with strong women. Look at Cherie Booth Blair, who earned her law degree with honors from the London School of Economics. She was named "Legal Personality of the Year" by her peers and earns $400,000 annually as a barrister. A new life for
Hawaii’s first lady/wifeBut when her husband, Tony Blair, was campaigning to be Britain's prime minister, Cherie was told by strategists to appear supportively at his side, to smile and wave, and -- for gawd's sake -- to please keep mum on the issues.
They feared a potentially campaign-killing case of the Hillary factor, that horribly annoying tendency for an intelligent, capable woman to outshine her other half.
Now that the Blairs have moved into the prime minister's residence, maybe Cherie can finally be herself.
Meanwhile, don't look for similar chameleon-like tendencies in Vicky Tiu Liu, who moved into Washington Place on Monday as Vicky Cayetano.
Her sudden ascension to first lady of the state won't change her one bit, she vows. It's a promise to which all working women of Hawaii should exclaim, "Hallelujah!"
Vicky is not your typical political spouse. She has never been involved in a campaign, would rather avoid the limelight (unlike her entertainer sister, Ginny Tiu), and prefers to quietly direct her company -- United Laundry Services Inc., a 300-employee, multimillion-dollar-in-sales operation off Sand Island Access Road -- that she co-founded in 1988.
Worries about presenting the right "image" as the governor's new wife and currying the favor of the media are low on her priority list.
In fact, as she briskly walks the floor of her 70,000-square-foot warehouses, Vicky is more concerned that towels are being ironed and folded correctly, and that a broken giant press for squeezing water from tons of bed linen is repaired.
A businesswoman's work is never done. And now that there is a female business owner residing at the governor's mansion, maybe the plight of small businesses and working parents will become better understood and get some much-needed attention from you-know-who.
If anyone can persuade him, it's this feisty wahine. Vicky seems to share her husband's propensity for being blunt, headstrong and bossy, but she is definitely more charming. Benjamin could take some lessons.
Since she'll clearly be an asset to the mister, it makes one wonder: Why all the paranoid secrecy surrounding the wedding ceremony? The governor's press secretary, in fact, threatened to bar KGMB reporter/anchor Sandra Sagisi from gubernatorial interviews for a full year if she didn't stop asking questions about the impending Big Day.
VICKY Cayetano doesn't need the protection. She's already figured out how to wedge her new responsibilities into a busy schedule: get up at 4 a.m., work out at 4:30, get her two kids from a previous marriage off to Mid-Pac, arrive at the office early, attend meetings and work on state projects in the afternoon and early evening. Then at night, turn into mother and wife. Sound familiar?
Vicky says that she is also ready for the cavalcade of official dinners, public appearances and even the dreaded sign-waving shifts associated with an election season. "My philosophy is to do whatever it takes to get the job done," she says.
That sounds like the president and CEO in her talking.